I'm trying to find my great, great grandparents. I don't have a lot of family alive on that side that I am aware of

Question

Hi,

I am trying to find out who my great, great grandparents are on my mother's side. We are unsure as I don't have a lot of family left alive on that side and it's been a bit of a mystery. Per DNA results on another site, a first or second cousin match provided the last names "Mycio" and "Brandel" as possibilities but I am uncertain. It could also include "Hulburt" or even "Dobos". I really don't know the time period either; other than my great grandparents on my father's side were born in the 1800's I believe. This is a bit intimidating at first so I appreciate any info that can be provided.

I do think Buffalo, NY or Eerie county around or before 1950 or so could be a good starting point but it's really a shot in the dark.

Thank you

Comments

Welcome to WikiTre and G2G forum Andy.

It'd help very much any information (Names, event dates, etc.) you can provide on your great grandparents and/or your grandparents since your family tree is still empty.

Answer 1

Are you from Florida? 

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2S5J-5VT

Whether you are or not, it seems to me that the best thing to do would be to start adding the names that you know about along with birth years, marriage years and death years if applicable. Enter the locations too. Country, state or province, county and city can help. Once you get that underway, it would give you or others at WikiTree a foothold on your family history, and you could continue to add one generation at a time. What do you think?

Frank

Comments

I do live in FL but my mother's family is in Buffalo, NY. I know a great bit about the Josker side but I do not know a lot about her side. I don't know any birth, death or marriage dates, I'm afraid.

I'll update to add as much information as I can find when I am able (I'm not confirmed yet so it won't allow me to add it until that occurs...at least that is what it seems like). Please forgive any perceived ignorance on my part as I am very new to this site as well as genealogy in general (but I'm preparing for quite the task ahead of me).

Your advice is great, I just don't know a lot of it. Sad but it was just me and my mother growing up and she never shared a lot of info about her side of the family. We relied on each other (father left) and I didn't follow up on things.

What started me into this is that I recently took a DNA test as a woman indicated she thought she was a half-sister of mine from my father's side. Thinking anything is possible and being excited, I took the test and now have a half-sister! That excitement thrust me into finally determining my family history on the opposite side.

Thanks for your advice and help!

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Hi Andy!  Your account was apparently confirmed today (I just looked at your profile real quick).  So now if you add your mother and her family perhaps we could "guess" the age of your father, grandfather, etc.  It would also be helpful to know where your half-sister grew up and if she had any contact with the father's family, even if it was when she was a child.

Oh!  And congratulations on finding a sister!  I have a sister and 3 half-brothers (one from my mother and two from my father).  I just consider them all equal siblings even though I barely know two of them.  I think my sister feels the same.

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Ah, I just saw that, thanks!!

I literally have no idea as to their names, where they lived (Buffalo, NY I think) but I will see what I can find out. That's the tough part about having a small family on my mother's side. The Josker side isn't hard (not a lot of them). My sister is from my father when he was in Okinawa so she won't be of any help.

 

I have 2 half brothers and now 3 half sisters and I love them all the same as if they were mine (so I am akin to the way you look at it). I believe mine feel the same way as well and we were excited! Definitely exciting times.

 

Thank you, I will add what I can and hope for the best (while researching my tail off)

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Hi Andy,  is there any way you can give an approximate or true birth date for your mother?  Also, can you think of any other hints your mother may have given in her remembrances?  Don't be afraid of giving us some other possible clues even though you are unsure if your memory is correct.

Answer 2

Hi Andy

Do any of these Frank's look like one of your ancestors?  If so, maybe one of the churches/cemeteries would have more details.

Source: "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JKK8-444 : 20 May 2014), Frank F Josker, 01 Jul 1989; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

United States Social Security Death Index
Frank  F  Josker
Birth Date     10 Apr 1930       New York
Event Date     01 Jul 1989
Age     59
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=113402591
Name     Frank F. Josker Jr.  1930-1989
Burial      Lackawanna, Erie, New York
Cemetery     Holy Cross Cemetery
Wife Dolores J.

Source: "New York State Health Department, Genealogical Research Death Index, 1957-1963," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2CHB-GSC : 9 December 2014), Frank F Josker, 11 Oct 1962; citing Death, West Seneca, Erie, New York, file #71769, New York State Department of Health—Vital Records Section, Albany.
Name     Frank F Josker
Death      11 Oct 1962      West Seneca, Erie, New York
Male  Age  60  Birth  (Est)     1902
Death Year     1962
File Number     71769

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=35260825
Name     Frank F. Josker
Burial  1962  Cheektowaga, Erie, New York
Cemetery     United German and French Cemetery
Birth Date     21 Sep 1902
Death Date     Oct 1962
Wife: Doris E. 1906-1971